Electric toaster



Aug. 1.7 1926,-

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62 47 IRvmG E CoLEMAN Aug. 17, 1926.

- v l. E. COLEMAN ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed Sept. 1 I

3 Shee ts-Sheet 2 T175- ET AMoins www@ Aug. 17 1926. 1,596,081

I. E. COLEMAN ELECTRIC TOASTER Filed Sept. 1 D 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 Hij 2.* sa/@9,47 4e,

-ae ff if 4a Patented Aug. 17, 19.261 i UNITED STATES :mvme E. COLEMAN, or

Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

nnncrmc 'ron-STER.

Apsucaepn sied september 1, 1925.y sex-18136. 53,875. f

The ypresent invention is an improvement on the electric toaster, shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States, No.

1,550,949` granted to me on the 25th day of August, 1925.

Itis a design of the invention toprovide lan oven toaster having separate sides, separate corner members, a separate basev member and a separate top, whereby the respectivel elements may be made from different materials, and from scrap pieces of materialv f as may beconvenient.

It is a ldesignpf the inventionto provide a base member, having all the electric wiring' included in the limits thereof, and hav.-4 ing all the operative parts attachedto the base, and adapted to remainattached to the base when the top and sides are removed.

It is a further 'design of the invention to provide a toaster in which the toast rack remains within .the limitsV of the oven Vnousino` in toast, receiving position, and to proprovide of the device,

vide removable heating grids, whereby an unskilled person may readily remove. andreplace a burned out heating element,

' It is aiurther design of the inveiition toopposed toast holding members whereby the slice to be toasted is supported midway Will'be toasted evenly on both sides.

.v It is a further design of the invention to provide adjustable toastzholding' members, whereby the space between them may be adusted or set in-accordance with the thickness of the slice to be toasted, and toe provide ya mechanism for easy adjustment of' the holdin members, and mechanism .which 1s lnde'pen ent of the other operative partswhch may be forced apart by the insertion of the, slice, providedjthey havernot been correctly adjusted before insertion fof the i slice,

i strains, and to n is; s furthemesign. of the iss/enses to support the grids in a manner wherebygthey have suiiicient Itolerance to prevent warping and ,cracking under heat, to avoid torsional prevent cracking in' shipment, to provide-v a toasting device'having fuse .elements for protection` ol? the heats` ing elements, and to otherwise protect the operative elements Vofthe device.- Whilexthe drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 wish it to be understood that I'may 'change the specific arrangement of. the parts(A and make between the grids, so that the slice and to provide toast holders of. a heating grid.' Fig. A5 is an end elevation of a heating grid. Fig. 6' is a fragmentary and sectional view of the taster showing the lifting elements which support the toast carrier. Fig. 7 is a top plan-view of the molded`-base. .Fig 8 is a sectional .detail view of ythe shaftswhich carries certain of the switch elements. .Fig 9 is a perspective and enlarged detail view of a contact member.

iReferring to the drawings, my im roved electric toaster consists of an oven avi-ng a molded base 1 1, corner members 12, side walls 13, and end walls 14, lsecured by draw boltsrl, extending through apertures 16, in the'base, and screw connected to the top member. 17 Base 11 isprovided with a groove 18, adaptedtol engage with the side walls 13, corner members 12, and endwalls 14, in assembled position.

ber 17, has a flange 19, serving to hold the side and end walls in position, andthe cornermembers 12, are provided with grooves base 11 has a centrall recess 21, orimng' a crumb tray having openings 22, one at either end, through which the crumbs may be -.removed. parallel with-the'scrumb tray. The abutments 24, one on Aeither side of the crumb tray, serve to support the heating grids, to be hereinafter described.4 The base has a recessed portion 25, -in which is mounted the actuating merhanism ,for the toasting forks, to-be hereinafterdescribed, and a recessed portionf-j26, containing the electric wiring. A cover 27 is provided, vwhich forms the portions 25 and 26 into chambers. The top member 17,- has a longitudinal opening28, in which the sliceof bread or' article to be toasted, is inserted and positioned between `grids 29. Within the oven,-I rprovide two op osed toastholdingmembers 30`and 31,' whic .are adjustable orvarying 'thickness of the Other recesses 23, vextend ion lio

tween the spring contactI arms-f to the heating grids. For adjusting the toast holding members, I rovide a shaft 32 journalled in the base an having a knurled knob 33, for manually turning the shaft. A countershaft 34, extends parallel with shaft 32. Each shaft has upwardly projecting lever arms 35, to which the toast holding member 31 is connected, and downwardly projecting lever arms 36, to which the toast holding member 30, is pivotally.

connected. Each of the toast-holding members consists of a single strand of wire having three upwardly extending loops 37, and having= its extremities 38, connected to the actuating lever arms.. AThe arra ement is such that the respective toast-holding members are moved -to their innermost and outermost positions by a quarter of `a turn of knob 33. The uppermost extremities of loops 37 are bent outwardly adjacent to the top opening 28. It has been found in use, that the average person prefers the toast of a certain thickness. This part ofthe device, when once set, will therefore. serve to support the slices equidistant from the heating grids, and is arranged to be adjusted independently of the yremaining operative parts.

The grids 29, consist of plates 39, of an insulating material, and each supporting a heatin element 40, consisting of a helical coil o wire, carried by hooks 41, and having .its terminals secured to contact members 44 and 46, onthe lower corners of plate 39.

The base, preferably molded from a dielectric material, has secured thereto the Contact members 47, having contact blades 48 projecting upwardly and into the oven adjacent Ito the ends of the gridsupporting abutments; the contact members 47 being mounted in chamber 26. Binding posts 49 are mounted on contact members 47. Bindin posts 50, are mounted in chamber A26, an connected to the double conductor cable 51, entering the base through aperture 52. Binding posts A53, electrically connected with posts 50, are adjacent to posts 49, and

'fuse elements 54', connect posts 49 and 53. .The

contact members 56, having integral spring contact arms 57, and having blades 58 projecting upwardly and intothe ov'en adjacegt to the ends of the grid-Supporting abat: ments, are mounted in compartment 25.

The rids 29, are detachable, and, when inserte in position, are supported at the top by spring clampsl 59, depending from cover 17, andare supported at the bottom, bythe engagement o contact members 44, with contact blades 48, and of contact members- 461 with contact' blades 58.

To energize the heatin grids, 'I provide a`switcl1 mechanisn forf Osinga 'circ'uit be- 7,?l consisting of a shaft 60, journalled in abase 11, and having on opposite endstli' reof` the -jecting radially and', lying in vertical hand wheels 61.l Switch members '62, profrom shaft 60, are adapted to engage wit spring contact arms 57 in closed position,fand are connected by' a Wire element 63. Members 62 and connecting element 63, are insulated relative to shaft 60. v.

The toast rack 64 is positioned between the grids, and. is movable to its uppermost or receiving position, and to its lowermost or toasting posit-ion, and consists of a plate 65, carried by the wire" frame 66. The plate 65 has certain notches 67, through which 4the toast-holding members 30 and 31, extend. I provide mechanism for actuating the toast rack, consist/ing ofstud shafts 68, journalled shaft 60. Shaft 60 has Ifixed thereto, the lifting levers 70, and shafts 60, have fixed thereto the lifting levers 71. .The levers 7() and 71, are pivotally connected, Vat theirouter extrem'ties to crossheads 72, sliding on frame 66. Levers 'and 71, have intermeshing gear sectors, 73, whereby the levers may be actuated in unison, but through opposed paths' of movement. The arrangement is such that the toast rack may be actuated .to its uppermost and lowermost cpositions by 1. In an electric toaster, the combination, with an oven, having 'an'opening atthe top for insertion of a slice of toast, of heating conductors supported in the oven and lying' in a vertical'plane, a toast holder movable between the heating conductors, means for manually actuating the toast holder in va vertical plane between the heating conductors, and to and from its slicewreceiving position and its toastingp position, toast-holding members disposed in vertical planes between the toast rack andthe heating conductors, mensior adjusting lthe toast-holding mem- `bers to and from each other, and an electric switch interposed between the' heating conductors andactuated to a closedfpositlon as the toast rack approaches its toasting 'posiv'in bearingsv 69, and extending parallel with lll() tion, .and actuated to an open position-as the toast-rack approaches its slice-receiving po' sition. A

2. In an of heating 'conductors su yporte in the oven planes, a toast rack movablebetween' the.' eating conductors,

means for actuating the toast rack to slicereceiving position and to 'toasting position,-

` electric toaster, the combination withan oven havinganopenin at the top,`

in vertical planes between thetoas'tjrack and v the heating conductors, meansffor actuating the toast-holding members to and froml each other, electric switch elements interposed between the heating conductors,'and mechanism whereby the movement of the-'toast rack actuatesthe switch elements.

- 3. In an electric toaster,l the combination with an oven'having a slice-receiving opening at the top, and having a molded base, of terminal binding posts mounted in the base, a double conductor cable extending from the rbase and connected to said terminal binding posts within vthe base, other binding posts electrically connected with-the terminal binding posts, contact members mounted in the base, binding posts on the contact members',. fuse elenents connecting the binding posts on the contact members and the intermediate binding posts, .contact blades in-v tegral with the contact members and pro-A jcting upwardly into the oven, spring contact members mounted in the opposite end of the base, otheri contact blades integral with saidtsprin contact members and' projecting vupwar y within the ovenl and in opposed' relation to the rst-named contact blades, detachable grids mounted in the oven and between the said contact blades, Contact lmembers on the grids* and adapted to engage with the contact blades, heating con-Y ductors mounted on the grids and havingv their terminals connected to the contact members on the grids, a switch shaft journalled in the base and extending transversely therein, switch members projecting radially from the switch shaft and adapted to engage with the springcontact members, an electric conductor in the switch shaft and connecting the switch members, hand wheels on the switch shaft for manually actuating the shat and switch members through an arc of ninety degrees, to open and close the switch circuit between the heating elements, a toast rack'opcrative between the heating conductors and movable .to and from the "slice receiving opening at the top, and lifting mechanism for, the toast'rack actuated by the switch shaft.

` 4i. in an electric toaster,. the combination with a basemember having a groove in the top and extending adjacent to the sides of the base, df corner housing members adapted to engage with said groove at the corners of the base, said corner members -having longitudinal grooves, a top member havingy an inner Harige, side wall and end wall members adapted to engage with the groove in the hase and with the longitudinal grooves in the corner members and to abut against the flange in the top member, draw bol-.ts passing through the base and extending up wardly and having a screw connection with 'the top member, saidtop member having a proachcs its receiving position.

longitudinal slice-receiving opening and said base having a depression in opposed relation to the top opening and ,serving as a vcrumb trayLheating and wall members, a toast rack operative between the grids, means for actuating the toast rack, and toast-holding members within the housin and o'nvop'positesides of the toast rack, sai rack and toast-holding memya l grids mounted in lthe housing formed by sald base, top member,

bers being independent of theY wall members and top'member, and operatively mounted on theqbase. A

5. In an electric toaster, the combination with an oven housing having a slice receivin opening at the top, of a toast rack movab e within the oven and having an upper receiving position and a lower toasting posi-' tion, a shaft extending transversely through the housing, hand wheels on said sha-ft and disposed on opposite sides of the oven housing, a wire frame integral with Ithe toast rack, crossheads slidable on 'the wire frame, lever arms on said transverse shaft and having a pivotal connection with certain of the crossheads, stud shafts journalled in bearings vwithin the housing, other lever arms integral with .the stud shat-s and having pivotal connection with theremaining ccross- 'heads, intermeshing sector gearing on said r lever arms whereby the lever arms swing in opposite directions and in arcuate paths of movement to lift the wire frameV and ,the toast rack, heating grids within the housing and on opposite sides ofthe toast rack, electric-,energizing cables enteringthe housing and having connection with the heating grids, and switch elements having connection with the grids and arranged to be actuated to closed positionI as the rack ap'- proaches its toasting position, and to be actuated to open position as the rack ap- 6. In an electric toaster, an oven having detachable side walls and detachable end walls of a suitable material, a base for the oven housing molded from a dielectric material, electrical elements mounted within the base and including energizing cables, contact blades fixed to the base and projecting upwardly into the oven, spring switch elements in connection with two ot said contact blades, said energizing cables being in connection with the two remaining contact 1n the housing, Contact members on the grid piates connectionwith said contact blades,

laments, and to be dise'nga housing blades, gridl plates detachably mounted quarter of-a turn of the shaft, hand wheelsV on said shaft and-arranggd externally relative to the housing, slice-holders mounted within the oven housing and movable to and 5 from each other and arranged to support a slice of toast between the grid plates, means for independently adjusting the slice holders to a predetermined spaced apart positio-n, a toast rack working between the slice-holders,

` 10 and movable to its receiving position and to elements are disengaged, and to toasting position as the switch elements are moved to engaged position.

7 Inan electric toaster, the combination with a base member molded. from dielectric material, of heating grids mounted on and projecting upwardlyin vertical planes from 'the base, electric energizing elements .mounted in the base and in connection with the grids, switch elements between the heating elements, and mounted in the base, and

. inclu arranged to open and to close the energizing circuit, toastholders projecting upwardly from the base, means for actuating the toast holders mounted within the base, a shaft. for thetoast holder actuating means projectingrfrom the base, a knob on said shaft, a toast rack disposed between the grids and worlring in a vertical plane, means for actuating the switch elements to open and closed position disposed in the base, means whereby the switch actpating elements actuate the toast vrack to a' receiving position' as the switch elements are moved to open position, and actuate the toast rack to a toasting, position as the switch elements are moved to a closed position, said actuating means' `a1switch shaft extending transvel'sel 1n the base and hand wheels on opposite ends of the switch shaft, all of Ysaid operative elements beingjconnected to 'the base; and independent and detachable A sidev wall members, end wall members, and

' pendent of the operative parts.

topjinember mounted on the base'and indebase member,

8,',11'1 an electric toaster, a

tplrts mounted on the base 'member operative g a rack, means for actu-` ating the rack upwardly and downwardly,

toast holding members, means for actuating the toast holding members laterally to and from the rack, heating element-s, a switch for the heating elements, and means foractuating the switch elements 'to open and 'closed positions, and an oven enclosing wall elements, switch elements within the base and arranged to open and to close a circuit for the electrical elements and heating elements, and mechanism whereby. the switch elements are actuated cooperatively with the lifting elements.

l0. rlhe combination with heatingmeans, of toast-holding means adjacent thereto, a v toast rack1 interposed between the toastholding means, and between the heating means, and having a receiving position and a toasting position, means whereby the switch elements are actuated to closed position as the rack approachesits toasting position, and to an open position4J as the rack approaches its receiving position, and housing members enclosing the holding and toast-lifting members and heating elements, detachably secured to the base. Y

.11. The combination with toast-holding means and toast-lifting means, of means for independently actuating the holding and lifting means, heating meansassociated withthe holding means, means for energizing the heating means switch elements adapted to control the energizing means, and means whereby thel switch elements are actuated simultaneously with the movement -ot' the lifting means and actuated to closed position as the lifting means approach their lowermost position and to open position as' the lifting means approach their uppermost 1710. position. f v

In testimonywhereof, I hereunto aiiix i signature. Y ,v, IRVING E. COLEMAN.- 

